ES2347367T3 - DISTRIBUTION DEVICE FOR FLUID PRODUCT. - Google Patents

Abstract

The distribution device for fluid product, comprising: - a molded push button (6) of plastic material comprising at least: - an annular fitting wall (9) delimiting a well (10) intended to receive fluid product to be distributed, said well extending longitudinally along a central axis (z), - a side wall (11) extending from the fitting wall (9) and delimiting a housing (12) for receiving nozzle open towards the outside, presented the fitting wall (9) a first thickness (e1) outside the nozzle receiving housing (12), in a plane perpendicular to the central axis (Z) and containing said nozzle receiving housing (12), - a column (13) protruding in said nozzle receiving housing (12) from said fitting wall (9), - a nozzle (14) embedded in said nozzle receiving housing (12) on said columnite (13 ) and delimiting with this column an intermediate chamber (18) that is connected to the well (10) and which flows outwards through an exit orifice (17) provided in the nozzle (14), - a drain (22) being provided in the column (13) and open in front of the exit orifice ( 17) of the nozzle, characterized in that said fitting wall (9) has a second thickness (e2) in front of said recess (22), the second thickness (e2) being less than 1.1 times the first thickness (e1).

Description

Product distribution device fluid.

The present invention relates to distribution devices for fluid products according to preamble of claim 1.

The document WO-A-2005/032972 describes an example of such a distribution device.

The document WO-A-03/018208 also describes an example of such a distribution device in which there are planned to empty the column and open in front of the hole output

In the distribution devices of this type, the lace wall has a tendency to suffer phenomena of retraction particularly in front of the receiving column of the nozzle, which harms the good fit of this lace wall on a hollow pump or valve actuator stem distribution of fluid product.

The present invention particularly has object to alleviate this inconvenience.

For this purpose, according to the invention, a device of distribution of the gender in question is characterized because said lace wall has a second thickness in front of said emptying, the second thickness being 1.1 times lower than the first thickness.

Thanks to these provisions, the thickness of push button material at the columnite level, which allows to strongly limit the retraction phenomena mentioned before. This results in better control or governance of the interior dimensions of the lace wall, therefore a better push button maintenance on the drive rod of the pump or valve on which it is intended to be fit in

In addition, it is verified that the presence of the emptying mentioned above improves the quality of spraying, in particularly when the fluid product to be distributed reaches the chamber which forms whirlpools under relatively weak pressure (by example a pressure lower than 4 bars). Indeed, with such pressures, a homogeneous distribution of the droplets of sprayed fluid product while with the devices of the  prior art, an inhomogeneous distribution of the droplets is observed of pulverized fluid product (generally, in the case of a weak fluid pressure, droplets have a tendency to form a hollow cone, therefore with a small density of droplets in the proximity of the axis of the exit hole).

In various embodiments of the device according to the invention, it may eventually be resorted to one and / or another of the following provisions:

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he second thickness is at most equal to the first thickness;

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the columnite comprises an annular wall bounded internally by said emptying, this annular wall presenting a third thickness less than 0.7 times said first thickness;

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he third thickness is between 0.2 and 0.6 times the first thickness;

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bliss lateral wall has a fourth thickness less than 0.8 times said first thickness;

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he fourth thickness is between 0.3 and 0.7 times the first thickness;

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he exit hole has a first diameter and the drain has a second diameter (presenting the spray nozzle, the reception housing of the nozzle and the columnite a form of revolution around a lateral axis), being the second diameter more than 2 times the first diameter;

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he second diameter is between 2 and 3 times the first diameter;

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he distribution device further comprises a mechanism of distribution fitted with an embedded hollow drive rod in the buttonhole.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the following description of two of its embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example, with respect to the accompanying drawings.
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In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section view of a example of distribution device according to a first mode of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a example of spray nozzle that can equip the device of fig. one,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view according to the line III-III of fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to the fig. 3, in a second embodiment of the invention.

In the different figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements.

Fig. 1 represents a device of distribution 1 for fluid product, intended for distribution by example a cosmetic product or similar, which presents particularly a liquid or semi-liquid consistency.

The distribution device 1 represented in fig. 1 comprises a reservoir 2 containing fluid product, a pressure or not, and a distribution mechanism 3 such as a pump spray manual (or if the case arises a valve if the fluid product is under pressure in the reservoir 2).

Understanding this distribution mechanism 3 a hollow drive rod 4 extending along an axis central Z and that is slidably mounted on the body 5 of the mechanism of distribution. The drive rod 4 is adapted to allow an outlet of fluid product when said rod sinks of actuation 4 in the body 5. The output of the fluid product in issue can eventually be done at a relatively pressure low, for example at a pressure lower than 4 bars.

A button 6 is fitted on the stem of drive 4. This button 6 can for example be molded One-piece thermoplastic synthetic material, particularly polyolefin (for example, polypropylene or Similary).

As depicted in figs. 1 and 3, the button 6 can comprise:

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a upper wall 7 substantially horizontal,

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a skirt 8 substantially cylindrical, centered on the Z axis, and which extends down from the periphery of the upper face 7,

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a lace wall 9 extending downward along the Z axis a starting from the upper wall 7 and delimiting a central well 10 of substantially cylindrical interior shape in which the drive rod 4 mentioned above,

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a side wall 11 of substantially cylindrical shape of revolution centered on an X axis which, in the example represented in the drawings, is substantially perpendicular to the central Z axis before mentioned, melting the upper part of the side wall 11 in the upper wall 7, and internally delimiting said side wall  11 a nozzle receiving housing 12 substantially cylindrical revolution around the X axis, the bottom of this housing 12 of nozzle reception by the wall of fitting 9 mentioned above and leading to said housing of nozzle reception laterally outwards as opposed to said wall of fit,

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a cylindrical columnite 13 centered on the X axis that protrudes in the nozzle receiving housing 12 from the lace wall 9.

In the nozzle reception housing 12 is forcefully fitted an outlet nozzle 14 well visible in the figs. 1 and 2. This outlet nozzle, which can be made by example of molded plastic material, comprises a front wall 15 perpendicular to the X axis and a side wall 16 substantially cylindrical in which the outer surface is fitted tight at the nozzle reception housing 12.

The front wall 15 of the outlet nozzle is perforated with an outlet opening 17 which can be centered, for example, on the X axis. This outlet opening 17 communicates with an intermediate chamber 18 recessed in the inner face of the front wall 15, whose intermediate chamber communicates with one or more fluid arrival channels 19 hollowed in turn on the inner face of the front wall. In the example considered here, the intermediate chamber 18 has a substantially cylindrical shape centered on the X axis and the channels 19, which are here 3, are arranged substantially tangentially in relation to the intermediate chamber 18, so as to cause turbulence of the fluid that arrives through the channels 19 to the intermediate chamber 18. The arrangement described before the intermediate chamber 18 and the channels 19 is only given by way of illustration and could be modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.
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Channels 19 communicate with an annular space 20 provided between the inner surface of the side wall 16 of the nozzle and the outer surface of the columnite 13 of the button, and this annular space 20 communicates in turn, by means of a duct 21 provided in the button, with the upper end of the well 10 in which the drive rod 4 of the distribution mechanism 3.

According to the invention, a recess 22 is provided in columnite 13. This recess 22 may, for example, have a noticeably cylindrical shape of revolution around the X axis, or as the case may be, a slightly divergent way outwards. The recess 22 extends along the X axis between a bottom formed by a part of the lace wall 9 and an open limb that flows into the intermediate chamber 18, in front of the hole of exit 17.

As depicted in figs. 1 and 3, the lace wall 9 presents, in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis and which contains the first X axis, a thickness e1, outside the housing 12 receiving nozzle, and a second thickness e2 at the level of emptying 22. The second thickness e2 is less than 1.1 times the first thickness e1. In particular, the second thickness e2 may be less or equal to the first thickness e1. In the example of figs. 1 and 3, the second thickness e2 is less than the first thickness e1, and said thickness e2 is for example between 0.3 and 0.7 times the first thickness e1.

On the other hand, the emptying 22 of the columnite delimits an annular wall 23 of said columnite which has a third thickness e3 (measured radially in relation to the X axis) generally less than 0.7 times the first thickness e1 and by example between 0.2 and 0.6 times the first thickness e1.

The side wall 11 represents a fourth thickness e4 which may be less than 0.8 times the first thickness e1, and by example between 0.3 and 0.7 times the first thickness e1.

The presence of emptying 22 in the columnite allows to avoid irregularities in the lower form of the wall of fit 9, and therefore ensure a good fit of the push button 6 on the drive rod 4.

The outlet hole 17 already mentioned presents a first diameter d1 which is generally of the order of a few tenths of millimeter, for example about 0.3 millimeters, while the maximum diameter d2 of the drain 22 can be more than 2 times the diameter d1, for example between 2 and 3 times the diameter d1. In the example considered here, the diameter maximum of the emptying 22 can also be for example of the order of 0.8 mm. Finally, intermediate chamber 18 may present a diameter d3 greater than the diameter d2, for example of the order of 0.9 mm, in the particular case represented in the drawings.

When a user presses button 6, it activates thus the distribution mechanism 3 that causes an expulsion of fluid product at a relatively low pressure by the stem of drive 4. This fluid product comes out from the tip upper well 10, and then successively transits in the conduit 21, annular passage 20, channels 19, chamber intermediate 18 where it is put in rotation, and then is ejected by the exit hole 18. Upon exiting the exit hole 18, the fluid product is divided into a multitude of fine droplets that they are projected outwards forming a jet in the form of divergent cone Thanks to the presence of emptying 22, and even if the pressure of the fluid product at the exit of the mechanism of distribution 3 is relatively weak, the droplets in question are distributed relatively homogeneously inside the Cone already mentioned.

In the second embodiment of the invention, the distribution device is identical or similar to that described previously, only with the following differences, either visible in fig. 4:

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he thickness e1 of the fitting wall 9 is substantially constant over the entire periphery of said lace wall, included at the level from the bottom of the drain 22, so that the thickness e2 is here the same to thickness e1,

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and the thickness of the side wall 11 delimiting the housing of nozzle reception 12 is reduced to the level of the union of this side wall 11 with the lace wall 9.

Claims (9)

1. The product distribution device fluid, comprising:

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a molded push button (6) of plastic material comprising the less:

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a annular socket wall (9) delimiting a well (10) intended for receive fluid product to distribute, extending said well longitudinally along a central axis (z),

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a side wall (11) extending from the socket wall (9) and that delimits a housing (12) of nozzle reception open to the outside, presented the lace wall (9) a first thickness (e1) outside the housing (12) receiving nozzle, in a plane perpendicular to the central axis (Z) and containing said nozzle receiving housing (12),

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a columnite (13) protruding in said receiving housing (12) of nozzle from said lace wall (9),

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a nozzle (14) fitted in said housing (12) receiving nozzle over said columnite (13) and delimiting with this columnite an intermediate chamber (18) that is attached to the well (10) and that flows outwards through an exit hole (17) provided in the nozzle (14),

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a drain (22) being provided in the column (13) and open in front of the outlet opening (17) of the nozzle, characterized in that said fitting wall (9) has a second thickness (e2) in front of said drain (22) , the second thickness (e2) being less than 1.1 times the first thickness (e1).

2. A distribution device according to the claim 1, wherein the second thickness (e2) is at most equal to the first thickness (e1). 3. A distribution device according to the claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the columnite (13) comprises an annular wall (23) defined internally by said emptying (22), this annular wall (23) presenting a third thickness (e3) less than 0.7 times said first thickness (e1). 4. A distribution device according to the claim 3, wherein the third thickness (e3) is comprised  between 0.2 and 0.6 times the first thickness (e1). 5. The distribution device according to a any of the preceding claims, wherein said side wall (11) has a fourth thickness (e4) of less than 0.8 times said first thickness (e1). 6. The distribution device according to the claim 5, wherein the fourth thickness (e4) is comprised  between 0.3 and 0.7 times the first thickness (e1). 7. A distribution device according to a any of the preceding claims, wherein the exit hole (17) has a first diameter (d1) and the emptying (22) has a second diameter (d2), the second being diameter (d2) greater than 2 times the first diameter (d1). 8. A distribution device according to the claim 7, wherein the second diameter (d2) is between 2 and 3 times the first diameter (d1). 9. A distribution device according to a any of the preceding claims, which further includes a distribution mechanism (3) provided with a rod of drive (4) hollow fitted in the well (10) of the button.